18th Birthday Celebrations with our team..
On Wednesday last we celebrated our 18th Birthday at the Franciscan Well. All our team joined in the celebrations with their families, which made it all the more special. Since 2001, Arema Connect has continuously expanded its service offering to best meet our clients ever changing needs, growing from a workforce of just 3 people to 2 office spaces and a workforce of 60+ (FTE) in 2019. In addition, we will be recruiting 50+ Customer Service Representative Roles in Quarter 4 this year.
A trip down memory lane….
Let’s take a quick look back at the history of Arema Connect. Key Answering Systems was founded in 2001 by Managing Director Pat Keogh. The business was then situated in Fermoy, Co.Cork with a workforce of just 3 people. The main client base consisted of clients from the SME sector, the service offering consisted of receptionist and overflow cover. In 2002, the business began to operate on a 24/7 basis which made the service very favourable for many clients. In 2004, Key Answering Systems re-branded to Call Management, this also involved a move to a larger office space in Glanmire, Co.Cork. The number of sectors served had significantly increased by this time to include both public and private sectors. Additionally, in this year Call Management added market research to its ever growing service portfolio for new and existing clients. In 2008, Call Management moved to its now home, the Atrium Building in Blackpool Retail Park. This move saw the business grow from strength to strength. In 2011, we worked with our first of many multi-national clients from around the globe. In 2014, Call Management re-branded to Arema Connect to best represent the addition of Live Chat, Social Media Monitoring and Email Handling services. In 2018, a second office space was opened in Blackpool Retail Park to facilitate continuous growth with our multinational clients.
Words from our Managing Director, Pat Keogh…
In order to gain a better insight into Arema Connect’s 18 years of service we spoke with our Managing Director, Pat Keogh.
What was your mission from the outset?
Our core service when we started was shared agent support so that companies could take advantage of economies of scale. The model was quite simple, we offered a 24 by 7 customer support service. Each client was charged a fee based on their call volume. It was and still is a value for money option for the SME sector. It has developed over the years to include other services.
To what do you attribute the business’s success?
The one consistent nugget of feedback we have always got is the people working in Arema Connect are our number one asset. In relation to the management team, we want to be seen as a solution provider. If a client has a project within the Customer Relationship Management Sector, we will work with them to find a solution. For example we now offer social media monitoring due to a client’s requirement for an online presence on a 24 by 7 basis to support their international client base.
What are your goals for Arema Connect for the coming years?
The main goal would be to double in size over the next 3 years and to continue investing in technology as Artificial Intelligence and working smart is going to be key drivers over the next few years.
Our Marketing Manager, Silvia Planella and Our Client Development Manager, Katherine Sutton enjoying the 18th Birthday Celebrations.
A HUGE thank you to…
- All the staff in the Francisan Well for their fantastic service
- Katherine Sutton, Client Development Manager and Managing Director, Pat Keogh for organizing a great celebration
- All our employees and their families for making it one to remember
We are already looking forward to celebrating 19 years of service!
